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As one who has deserted pure physics for technology I cannot comment on Brian Woolnough's views on physics teaching in schools (Physics Bulletin May 1978 p203); but I am concerned about some of the more general points which he introduces. I have no certain knowledge about the general level of school leavers, but I do know that the standards of university entrants have declined in English and in mathematics.
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Bell et al. (1978) studied this question.
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